Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  dissapointed after reading reviews - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By marpey - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Coach work very poor Door gasketing an after thought Power steering turning radius too large Rides hard crowded interior very overpriced for the quality A pre priced car Windows shake when half opened Body makes creeking noise when going slowly over pavement.

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  Hard to work with Nissan support. - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By Lloyd Dawson - August 28 - 12:31 am

  Nissan keeps a lot of information closed to the public. Replies to questions get "canned answers". After a battery replacement the vehicle needed many other repairs. Even when I purchased a 5 year 100000 mile extended warranty the in service date caused me to lose 6 months on the warranty I paid for. We love using our EV but Nissan has been a pain.

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  I made a mistake in getting this vehicle - 2004 Nissan Frontier
  By trojo69 - August 27 - 1:36 pm

  This truck has no power, and the gas mileage is terrible. There is not much room at all inside. The hauling capacity is mnot that bad for a small truck, but if I have to haul alot of weight up a small incline I am in trouble.

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  endless warranty work - 2005 Nissan 350Z
  By macrayz - August 26 - 7:16 am

  I have had over half a dozen warranty jobs done on this car in its short lifespan. This includes a complete transmission that was grinding gears. The interior is full of cheep plastic. Insurance rates are rediculous for the car as well. I average 15.2 mpg.

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  Nissan Sucks - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By arifzaidi - August 24 - 3:32 pm

  Let me just say that, one shall never buy Nissan. If you need your warrenty honored, you will have to spend more on your inspections and work around that Nissan will recommend before they agree to pay for it. I have Altima 2009 with bad transmission. Nissan support recommended 1800 worth of work around and it still has a problem and they are not honoring the warrenty. Nissan users, please lets get togather and sue Nissan. It shouldnt be selling these cars in USA because they are treating customers really bad.

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  Big mistake, transmission out at 23k miles - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By nick131 - August 18 - 10:02 pm

  I bought this car after was told it is sporty to drive. It might be sporty for old folks. The engine is loud as a jet taking of every-time you accelerate. My main issue with the car is highway driving. After driving on highway for more than two hours and then you decide to get off an exit for gas or a quick break, the car wont move. It has done that to me every time i had come to a stop after highway driving. It is very dangerous because the car wont move at all while the gear is on D and gas pedal pressed all the way down to the floor. Dealer wants to replace transmission. The second thing is this car is the worse vehicle for winter driving, especially in snow.

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  Buyers remorse - 2014 Nissan NV200
  By penguin10 - August 11 - 6:32 pm

  I purchased this van after a bit of research. Every car has a few people that cant be made happy. I now have 17000 miles and bald tires. I didnt think much of it until I tried to buy new ones. Nissan dealers have the only load rated tires in the required size and they are quite proud of them. I discussed changing wheel size with my service advisor and any modification would void my warranty. $100/month for tires. The interior heat and air are very weak. The engine performance seemed good enough at test drive, but try carrying a light load and it is painfully, if not dangerously slow.

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  DONT buy the Rogue!!!!!!! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By S.Crow - August 5 - 11:03 am

  This was the 9th Nissan we bought in 10 years. My husband worked at nissan for 6 years and we were proud to drive cars with high quality. However, the Rogue is not an suv I would ever recommend! In 9 months we have had it in the shop 4 times. New ignition switch because it would not start sometimes. This still has not fixed the prob. The car was making noises when I idled around parking lots. They replaced the cv shafts and the transmission. The problem went away but has since returned. The dealer told me that Nissan has said that this is "normal" when a steel belt wears in and that I am just too picky with the noises that it makes. AWD transmissions will do this after 7,000- 10,000 miles

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  Worst Purchase Ever - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By Wendy - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new and it was returned the next day for repairs. After two weeks I finally got my new car back and it now has over 500 miles on it, a dirty interior, and no new car smell. It is going back tomorrow for correction of repairs and cleaning. This car should never have left the dealers lot. This was the first car I ever bought brand new, what a disappointment!

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  "Lemon" I Need Help! Not happy! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By 2004 NISSIAN QUEST - July 24 - 8:00 pm

  From the very beginning of my purchase, I have encountered problems. Electrical disaster. Problems on the dashboard. Had to get tires, brake job. Took to Nissan to replace alternator. Have a whole lot of squeaking in sliding doors and other places. Had some problems with acceleration hesitation. Interior lights & air vents falling out of ceiling. Vibration and ratting problems. Engine smoking and burning oil need a ring job. The warranty will not cover it because of requirement to have all oil changes information on it. We did not get all of our oil changes from them so we need proof of getting them from other establishment so that we can get our motor fix. It has been a nightmare.